Being the grandson of a Calvary sergeant, the son of a WWII Navy Seabee veteran and the father of an Iraq war soldier (combat medic), I feel I am one of the military families that BDN columnist Sarah Smiley speaks for (“Election distressing to military families,” Nov. 10). Unlike McCain and Bush, none of us was born rich. Unlike Bush and Cheney, none of us used deferments to avoid going to war. So consider how we felt for the past eight years. McCain voted against the last GI bill. Bush lined his family’s pockets with big oil, Cheney with Halliburton.

Next, Ms. Smiley writes about McCain’s military service. I think surrendering is not something to brag about. Bush’s record of missing a drug test then not showing up is unthinkable. Let’s not even mention Deferment Dick. But to state that John Kerry’s military service is in question just shows ignorance.

For the past seven years my family, which is a military family, has been in shock. Sen. McCain has no idea what we want and what we need, and thank God he was not given that chance.

Vic Kraft

Bangor